The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government has summoned Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in connection with the alleged ₹2,000-crore classroom construction irregularities case, officials said.
Jain has been asked to appear on June 6, while Sisodia has been summoned for questioning on June 9, the officials aware of the matter said.
Both Jain and Sisodia have been asked to join the investigation in connection with alleged irregularities and financial improprieties in the construction of semi-permanent school rooms and buildings, by the then executive of Delhi government, at inflated costs.
“Allegations have been leveled against several functionaries of the then Delhi government, including you by name in the case summons. Accordingly, your presence is required for the purpose of your examination including recording of your statement and clarification on certain material facts relevant to the investigation of the case. You are also directed to submit your written submission along with supporting documents, if any, pertaining to the matter. Non-compliance to this notice may attract legal proceedings against you as per law,” the FIR read.
The ACB on April 30 had registered a criminal case against Sisodia, who was the deputy chief minister and education minister in the earlier AAP government, and ex-PWD minister Jain, in connection with the case.
According to ACB officials, the case, which dates back to AAP’s tenure in the Delhi government, involves alleged irregularities in the construction of 12,748 classrooms at government schools. The enquiry was initiated after several BJP leaders filed complaints.
“The case pertains to awarding contracts at inflated costs, procedural violations, and cost escalations that were allegedly engineered to benefit contractors linked to the party. The construction was ostensibly aimed at expanding classroom capacity in government-run schools, but our investigations revealed that each classroom was constructed at an average cost of ₹24.86 lakh — nearly five times the market rate of around ₹5 lakh per room. Though the classrooms were built as semi-permanent structures (SPS), which typically have a 30-year lifespan, the cost was nearly equivalent to that of fully reinforced concrete (RCC) structures with a 75-year lifespan. Surprisingly, no financial justification was given for opting for SPS over permanent structures,” said joint commissioner of police Madhur Verma, who is also the ACB chief.
He said during investigation they also found that consultants and architects were appointed without following due procedures, and cost escalations were carried out through them without seeking new tenders, violating guidelines of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the CPWD works manual.
“Contracts initially worth ₹860 crore were inflated by up to 90%, eventually touching ₹2,892 crore. A staggering ₹205 crore of this escalation was due to “richer specifications” — a term the agency has used to describe upgrades that lacked transparent financial rationale. A critical report by the Chief Technical Examiner (CTE) of the CVC was also kept hidden for nearly three years. Issued in February 2020, the report flagged multiple violations of procurement norms and highlighted how changes made post-tender awards led to a massive cost escalation and financial loss,” Verma said.
The CVC found that the cost per square foot for SPS classrooms was ₹2,292 — comparable to the ₹2,044 to ₹2,416 per square foot for permanent model schools. This nullified any cost advantage of using SPS and hinted at intentional manipulation. The contracts were awarded to 34 firms, a majority of which allegedly had links to the AAP. The ACB has also found that work amounting to ₹42.5 crore was executed in five schools without floating fresh tenders, further raising eyebrows about transparency.
During verification, it was found that during the meetings of the expenditure finance committee for the financial year 2015-16, it was decided that the project would be completed by June 2016 at the sanctioned cost, without any scope for future cost escalations. However, despite these directions, the work was not completed within the time period and significant deviations and cost escalations were observed.
“Following approval under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption (POC) Act from the competent authority, the ACB has filed an FIR (No. 31/2025) under Section 13(1) of the POC Act, read with IPC Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). A comprehensive investigation is now underway to determine the culpability of both the ministers, government officials, and contractors involved in the project,” added the ACB chief.